gadgtfreek
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Posts posted by gadgtfreek
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Hey Scrappy, someone has three of the XPa-1 mono block amps on the Emo site. They are amazing amps and they would be perfectly matched to each other.
I agree. 3 XPA-1's.
I like the idea of monoblocks, but I did not have the room for them. With a monoblock or multi channel amp with differential design you have virtually no crosstalk.
This is where if you were getting say an XPA-3 for 3 channel, or XPA-5, Id recommend a multi channel Outlaw instead (7500/7700).
I am not familiar with the Accurus, but I do not think those are made any more. If you can't find one a Parasound Halo is also a nice choice.
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They other funny thing is they started quoting 6 ohm power output instead of 8...
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Clean, sterile, all good words.
I like the Outlaw to me it is in between the Marantz and an Onkyo, but I wouldnt kick any of them out of bed
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Thats what ive heard.
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Tonight!
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Looks like my AV calibrator Chad will be in town early June. I am going to have him put me on the list for a visit. I will have the 64II by then and he can come in and fully test the reaction of the speakers in this room, and help me with proper xover settings and such.
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I heard a difference with the Klipsch between Marantz/Denon (more "warm") and Onkyo. Slight, but the Onkyo was a little more "metallic", or "crisp" IMO. Onkyo sound is like my Outlaws IMO.
No experience with Yammie or Pioneer.
I also think some speakers may expose differences more than others, especially these horns.
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I'm leaning heavily at running the 64ii at 60hz, and keeping the 7ii's there as well.
My main issue with 80hz on the center, if it can be avoided, is some voices still carry over to the sub. I do not like that. I know the cutoff on the 64ii is 59hz, but room does have an affect and I have seen many folks end up with the AVR setting the 64ii at 40hz, and then just bumping up to 60hz and they are happy.
If it sucks I can always bump up to 80hz with about 10 seconds of button pushing
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When you go into the trim level section, yes it plays the tones because that is where you would adjust/check speakers are putting out 75db. But, you can just go in and adjust them a couple of dB up or down, and then back out and see if the level is now how you want. This is a global (across all inputs) setting.
I do not think you can adjust the level, while listening to content, because you will get the test tone seeing that is what that menu is primarily for. Like I said, I think the reasoning is because once you set them all to 75dB the feeling is you should not have to tweak them. I know this isnt the best scenario for "tweakers".
Now in the Audio menu, you can quickly adjust the center or sub up or down for each input individually (not global), but not the mains or the surrounds.
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Thanks.
Audyssey likes to set my towers at 40 and the 62ii at 40. I know the room has some affect on this and it's actually the freq response in the room.
The audio calibrator confirmed both the 82ii's and 62ii were reading fine down past 60 in my room, but I always left them at 80. If I had a 70 I would use it, but my options are 60 and 80. I have a feeling if Audyssey and the Marantz report the 64ii at 40, that it could handle 60hz on the center channel.
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4520ci is a little more of a beast than the SR7009.
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Any of you guys run the 64II at 60hz?I know it's freq response starts around 59hz, but my RC62II in my room actually could be set at 60hz according to mic tests by a calibrator and its actual in room response. I never did though.
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Thats where I have my 62II, and my 64II will go. Angled up toward MLP.
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I'm 38 years young (or old, depending on the day
)I have a feeling I wont be as loud with these 7ii's, they are all up in your face. It's odd how speakers, both set to 75db with a meter, seem different in volume, or have a different affect. I think it is the larger horns.
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Yeah, its several remote clicks. With on screen menus though you can do it quick enough.
Another thing I like about with the AV7702, is heat. It just gets warm, where every AVR I have used as a preamp has still gotten quite warm. I have heard people say the heat mostly comes from the video chips, but if that was true the AV7702 would still be pretty warm, when it is not. Personally, I would expect a preamp to run cooler than an AVR, using the amps or not.
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Ill also note, even though Audyssey sets speakers to 75db each time, I am finding I cannot be as liberal with the volume control. Wonder if that will diminish even further with the 64ii.
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LOL.
There is no way after dropping over $11k on AV gear, that I am not gonna listen to movies with authority. I'd also like to point out we might watch one movie a week, so there is a 1 hr 45 minute window over 7 days where I crank my stuff. I rarely even play music.
It's not like its 4 hours a day every day. Plus, 85db is city traffic, and where the movie normally runs (85-90). Sure, action scenes and certain points hit the 100db mark but it isnt sustained. You arent sitting here listening to 110db's for 2 hours straight.
My last hearing test was fine too
I usually let my ears tell me whats too much, they know best if you pay attention. For example I am watching Smokey and the Bandit blu right now. I have it back about -4db from reference, its just a loud movie and anything more is just too much.
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IMO, after you run audyssey XT32 and check your levels for 75db, you should never need to adjust them. But thats my 0.02. YMMV.
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As for reference level and whatnot, I hurt my ears the other day listening to -10 db. I'm done with that crap. Yeah my ears are notoriously sensitive due to a rifle injury but it is mostly my left ear. I also hurt my right one the other day though. I finished the custom center then ran audessey and demo'ed the exciting scenes in Transformers at -10 db. I haven't been able to hear all week, probably did permanent damage. I just don't know if there is something weird going on with that center, or if Audessey was off on the volume calculation, or maybe the receiver was introducing some distortion which is known to hurt ears more than without, or what the deal is. I did move my subs out a little which made some frequencies come alive but typically bass does not bother me, it is the highs. Anyway, I'm done, I don't care for anything that loud at this point, its not worth it. All I can say is you guys need to be careful playing with that kind of volume. Reference level is not natural and it should not take that kind of power to let you enjoy a movie.
Id like to note, when I talk about my system hitting 110+ dB's, it's not quite so cut and dry.
With my new setup, crossing fronts at 60 and not 80, I've done a lot of testing and adjusting from how I was previously doing it.
- Im using a good SPL meter, and when I monitor the higher frequencies, I see around 100-102dB in loud scenes. If I swap over to monitor more low frequency stuff, that is when I hit 110-112db, and those are just quick bass hits from the subs.
- Previously I ran the subs much more hot, but I've done some testing and I like +5db over what XT32 sets it at. This is close to 75db as well with the test tone and reference volume, with my SPL meter set to be more accurate with low freq stuff.
- I also think running the fronts at 60hz now will help the sub out with headroom instead of all that front channel 60-80hz stuff going to the subs.
- After reading some good input from a Dolby guy and a sub designer, I have started crossing the LFE channel at 80hz, not 120. This of course is not a brick wall, but a rolloff, and their theory is that subs running all the way to 120hz are getting distracted from their main job, and the 120hz LFE channel was not the norm. Kinda back to the THX theory of cross everything at 80hz, but I think if your mains can do it and you have the power, crossing them at 60z gives more impact across the front.
- My Hsu subs offer many different configs. I am using Maximum Headroom mode. This is in the middle between Max Ouput (highest db's from 25-80, but not as good under 20) and Max Extension (best mode under 25, but lacks a few db from Max Output in 25-80). So, I get a little more output from 25-80 than max extension, but it also digs deeper than max output below 25. This mode is also designated for large rooms and high playback, which is me (5300cuft). The Q, or dampening setting I use is 0.5, which is for medium to large rooms.
I just watched some material I am used too (Transformers city battle, truck chase and gunboat scene in Act of Valor, and last battle with drones in Iron Man 2), and I think I have it right where I want it.
Once I swap the center out, I will run XT32 again, set my speaker trims to each other (including the sub), adjust master volume, and continue with the subs +5db hot once all other adjustments are made. I'll also keep LFE xover at 80hz, the 7ii's at 60hz, and the 64ii at 80hz.
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Once your setup is high end enough, subwoofer/Audyssey becomes detrimental.
What is your source?
This particular listen was laptop/itunes--airplay--marantz av7702--outlaw amp
I have tron legacy on CD today and will be playing it. It is supposed to be good and bass heavy. I will try both modes.
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Long runs, have a microchip that boosts the signal
And way more thin and flexible than most any other cable. I changed my whole system out 2 years ago and I am sold.
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I've owned a couple of Marantz AVR's and now this Preamp. I think their styling has always been over Denon, I mean they just look classy. Some say they are the same guts, but I have read articles from their employees that say D&M both maintain their own design groups in house. YMMV.
Just the short of it, I think Marantz charges about the same or a little more for the same "Denon", but they focus less on goodies like Spotify and more on the guts. My 0.02 cents..
I bought one of their blu-ray players because I had an AVR at the time and I thought it looked stylish as well (UD5007), but using Spears and Munsil to test patterns, it had chroma issues. This is unacceptable to me when the Oppo and even a $100 Sony can pass the tests. All blu-ray players should be able to output a bit for bit image, but not all can. The Marantz also had some odd issue where it was clipping 1-2 rows of pixels off one side of the image. So it went back and I've stuck with the Oppo 93 and now 103D. I imagine the UHD model will be out in October (113D?), and I will buy it too.
I've owned:
SR6005
SR6007
UD5007
As far their amps, my problem with them is they are overpriced when you look at Emotiva and the Outlaw ATI made amps. Functionality first, looks second.
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LMAO. Yep, gotta look at the labeling.
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Agree. I like the Monoprice Redmere's though. Super flexible, thin and fit snugly.
The last Blu-ray you watched.
in Home Theater
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Cmon man, at least go -20.5 lol